guess I’m the only one who watched it? Being up against Veronica Mars, Lost, and Criminal Minds (and Law & Order if ANYBODY actually followed it into that death slot), it’s already doomed, but I managed to find room in my tivo to get it recorded, and watched at 10:30.
Interesting concept. It’s actually more complicated than let on by the promos, since it isn’t just 12 angry men trying to vote the same, but people can be voted to NOT win the money as well, and their dirty secrets are gradually revealed, similar to the fax machine from one of those summer dating shows that I can’t remember the name of. I wish they didn’t throw the “BIBLE=Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, Rule #1 no queers” minister woman in there since that reality show angle is so over-done. And seeing JD Roth hosting is so bizarre, since I grew up watching him on Nickelodeon.
I found all three of the “dirty secrets” to be quite mundane, and not “dirty” in the slightest.
i) Detained for carrying live ammunition. So what? Not even arrested, just detained. BFD.
2) Spent time in a psych ward. Again, so what. This is relevant how again?
c) Filed bankruptcy despite having income. You can’t file bankruptcy unless you’re unemployed?
Wasn’t overly impressed. It is gona have to pick up the pace to hold attention, I think. And can any of us really think that they will be able to come to a unanimous decision?
I watched it. It was a little cheesy. Obviously, if the producers know secrets about each of them, the contestants would have had to reveal the secrets, so they can’t be that dirty. And if you were being vetted to be a contestant on a game show like this, and you were asked to tell the producers about a “dirty little secret”, would you be the least bit surprised that the secret was revealed during the course of the show? Please.
I watched this aberration since it was on after Idol. I’ve never liked JD Roth, and his emo look for this show didn’t save his need to OVER EXPLAIN EVERY SINGLE MINUTE DETAIL REPEATEDLY. My wife watches Endurance and I’ve caught an episode or two and he is the second most annoying host in the world, just slightly behind Rolf Benourschke (or however you spell his last name).
Mix this in with the fact that the show is just another popularity contest, unlike the oustanding Amazing Race and The Mole (weep), and this thing can be just tucked in the corner of failed wannabes like Murder in Small Town X and Boot Camp.
Also, I can understand why someone who was in a psyche ward would be embarrassed and/or humiliated. After all…this is America. We simply don’t talk about such things. :rolleyes:
Wouldn’t game theory say that everyone should sign something saying that they give it all to one person with the stipulation that s/he divide it nine ways when they get out? What’s to stop that scenario?
I’m really disappointed that they can vote people out of winning the money. This way, it’s going to have to get down to just a couple of people eventually, and it’s just another spinoff of Survivor/Big Brother. They should at least wait a few episodes before eliminating someone, to see how the votes fall out after a few cycles of voting.
Also, I don’t think the producers would have asked for a “dirty little secret,” but rather for “anything questionable in your background.” People have to disclose stuff like that for reality shows, because producers usually want to make sure they don’t have a bunch of nutjobs and petty criminals stuck on an island together or whatever. But for this show, I’m sure people who had nothing “questionable” were right out…they wanted a group they could have some dirt on.
See, that was part of what got me hooked, the gay guy and the holy roller. I love it when people are totally over the top ridiculous with their hate on TV, because it shows just how insane and stupid those ideas are. “Adam and Steve” as a rhetorical tactic in 2006? I’m so there, baby. Fred Phelps should get an hour on every channel to himself every night until there’s nobody left who agrees with anything he believes.
Frankly, I also love the game’s design. Let me lay out the rules as we now know them for those who haven’t seen it:
Nine people are locked in a spacious underground apartment. They must decide which of them will win 1.5 million dollars, unanimously. If anyone leaves, the money is cut in half. Every time they fail to vote unanimously, they must choose someone who will not be eligible to win. However, that person stays in the compound and their vote still counts.
In order to decide who will go, they are given ‘secrets’ without knowing whose secrets they are. They must decide based on the content of the ‘secret’ alone which is to be eliminated. They may not even find out who it is after voting, we don’t know yet.
The money is decreasing in some fashion as time goes on, but we don’t know the details on that, and the contestants don’t know about it at all yet.
You got it, with one slight (possible) nitpick- I thought that they said that every second they can’t come up with a unanimous decision, they lose a dollar. That would amount to a little over 1/2 a million lost over the course of a week, for instance.
from the look of the preview, it was more like $100 a second, although the video could have been sped up. If so, it would give them about a 4 hour deadline (or 7 real-time episodes) to decide.
This game SHOULD be simple:
“Okay guys. Nobody leave. Lets get this done and over with. Lets split the money 9 ways evenly. We’ll probably each end up with more $$ in the end anyway, rather than risk all these penalties sucking it away. Lets vote for the miniister. She’s a bitch, but at least it’ll be on God’s hands if she screws us over.”
I would imagine there is a legal agreement saying you can’t divide it. I think they should just randomly draw one name. The more they wait the less money.
Bumping this to say that I totally called that Tattoo-boy would double-cross the group and not vote for Steve. Somebody had to do it, since the show couldn’t end after 2 episodes. That guys is such a putz, with his fake testicular cancer.
I really couldn’t watch another moment of the show (brain was numbing and Hyrule was calling) so I turned it off after Steve got 7 votes. I don’t think I’ll watch again.
I’m totally hooked on this. I didn’t expect to be, but I’m loving it. I too called what McNew did, but I was surpised that:
He was the only one who did! Come on now, you signed up for the show and after 1 day, you all want to leave? Enough to give the money away without a fight? Put me in that bunker! Testicle boy is facing some harsh Karma for faking cancer, but his gameplay was spot on.